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News
roundup
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Foster parents Amanda and Steve
A Somerset couple are highlighting the ongoing and urgent need for more foster carers as part of Foster Care Fortnight, a national awareness initiative running from 12 to 25 May.
In Somerset there are around 630 children in care with more than 60% aged 11 to 18. With less than 150 in-house fostering households, more foster homes are urgently needed.
Yeovil Hospital A&E by Jake Bradley, reproduced under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license
On Tuesday, 13 May, Somerset NHS Foundation Trust announced that that it cannot currently safely run the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) and provide care during labour and birth at the Yeovil Maternity Unit for an initial period of 6 months.
 4 residential care homes in Somerset will be fitted with smart lighting systems as part of an innovative trial to help reduce falls.
Somerset Council and NHS Somerset ICB have been awarded funding from NHS England to install the technology in bedrooms and ensuite bathrooms over the next 3 years via delivery partners Porters Care Ltd.
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Wales & West Utilities (WWU) is holding a further drop-in event for its major gas main replacement works currently ongoing in Taunton.
Work started in March on an upgrade of the gas mains in the west of Taunton. The scheme will see mains upgraded around Bishops Hull Road and Silk Mills Road area. The £358,000 programme is upgrading 1.8km of metal pipes to long lasting plastic pipes and will ensure the continued safe and reliable supply of gas to local homes and businesses.
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A permanent road closure notice is being issued by Somerset Council to ensure the continued safety of the public at a location in south Somerset.
Chinnock Hollow near Yeovil was closed in February 2021 after being severely impacted by a significant landslide involving 20 tonnes of rock and sand, as well as a large tree. This followed a less serious incident just a week earlier.
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Work to complete improvement works to the cycling and walking route along A39, between Minehead to Dunster, starts this week.
Work is expected to take 7 weeks and the team will be able to do this while maintaining two-way traffic on the A39 during the day, which will keep disruption down to a minimum.
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People in Somerset are being reminded they can borrow more than just books from their local library with free blood pressure monitors available alongside the latest bestsellers.
Somerset Council and NHS Somerset are marking World Hypertension Day on Saturday, 17 May, and are encouraging local people to borrow a blood pressure testing kit to check whether they are in danger from hypertension – which is often known as the ‘silent killer’.
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Image courtesy of Nerve Tumours UK
To support Nerve Tumours UK’s ‘Shine A Light on NF 2025’ campaign, we’ll be illuminating County Hall with blue uplighters tomorrow (17 May), to mark the day.
As NF is still a relatively unknown condition, our attempts to raise awareness are greatly valued by the NF Community, uplifting and empowering them.
To learn more about the condition and find out what support is available, visit nervetumours.org.uk.
Stop Loan Sharks Week 2025 kicks off on Monday (May 19) with a national campaign to highlight the devastating impact of loan sharks and encourage borrowers to seek support.
The theme this year is ‘We’re here whenever you’re ready’, focusing on the no-pressure, supportive approach taken by the England Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT), known as Stop Loan Sharks, when borrowers find the bravery to report an illegal lender.
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